Larry Brown’s Charlotte Bobcats are an incredibly scrappy team. They play in your face defensively, fly all around the court, and hit the glass with reckless abandon. They fight, they hustle, and they grind out wins. Not surprisingly, their star player goes by the nickname of “Crash”. Basically, the Bobcats are a nasty bunch.

So what does a win against a tough Charlotte team say about the new look Clippers?

The additions of Steve Blake, Travis Outlaw and Drew Gooden were made for monetary reasons first, but Dunleavy sure did acquire some gamers in the process. Let’s take a look at the three new guys and their play tonight:

Steve Blake: Is there a better backup point guard in the league right now than Steve Blake? With the exception of Darren Collison, there probably isn’t. Tonight was Blake’s third game as a Clipper, and from an efficiency standpoint it was his best: 7 assists and zero turnovers. That puts Blake’s totals in his first three games at 28 assists and only 6 turnovers. When you consider that Blake is still learning how to play with his new teammates in addition to grasping the offensive sets, that’s a pretty incredible statistic. Perhaps the best part about Blake’s game can’t be measured in statistics: Blake seems really, really fun to play with. He’s completely unselfish, gets everyone involved, and is always looking to set someone else up with a better look than his own. Blake is one of those guys that takes absolutely nothing off the table. He isn’t perfect, but he’s about as good as it gets from a backup point guard.

Travis Outlaw: Outlaw made his Clipper debut tonight and quietly contributed with 10 points in 16 minutes. Outlaw isn’t renowned as a dangerous perimeter threat, but he went 2 for 3 tonight from deep and made the Bobcats respect him out on the perimeter. Outlaw may not be the superhuman force Clippers’ fans have been clamoring for at the small forward position, but he brings some nice scoring punch and the length and speed to be an effective perimeter defender. Chemistry wise Outlaw is another great addition for the Clippers. Blazers fans everywhere have been mourning the loss of their guy “Trout” because on top of being an incredibly nice person, Outlaw meshed well with his teammates. Clippers teams in the past have underestimated how important it is for a team to get along out on the court. We’ll get to see more of Outlaw’s actual game as the season progresses, but so far so good.

Drew Gooden: Immediately upon checking into the game, Gooden’s pick and roll defense was put to the test. Perhaps my eyes are trained by watching the slightly slower Chris Kaman lumber out and hedge, or Marcus Camby lay back and do nothing at all, but watching Gooden fly out in front of the screener and harass the ballhandler was a beautiful thing. Gooden was so ferocious in this particular approach that he appeared to be doing everything at once; he was hedging, he was trapping, he was blocking passing lanes and he was getting after the ball. It was like watching Anderson Varejao on Red-Bull. On the offensive end Gooden was even more active. He tipped back shots, crashed the offensive glass (5 offensive rebounds) and flew around the rim all night long. Gooden is limited in that he’s a pretty awful passer out of the post (5 turnovers tonight) but his energy matched with Craig Smith’s constant motor carried the Clips tonight. Rhino and Gooden (16 rebounds combined) were like the Mighty Ducks’ “Bash Brothers” tonight: They went in, tossed it up, and essentially brought the fight to Charlotte.

It’s pretty fun to watch the new guys carve out their roles on the team. Steve Blake is obviously a distributor first, but he’s also a willing shooter left alone. Drew Gooden is a defender and rebounder, your quintessential energy guy off the bench . Travis Outlaw is a little trickier to pin down, but he’ll likely fill the role of a natural scorer, a guy who can take his man one on one and go get buckets. It’s not easy to find guys who suit their roles well, know them, and are hungry enough to fulfill them on a nightly basis. This type of bench play should not be taken for granted.

It’s far too early to speculate, but what do the new guys need to do to remain with the team next year? If the Clippers want to go after a max player this year (they do), they’ll have to renounce all their free agents. That means Rasual Butler (20 points, 4 for 8 from three), Craig Smith (7 points, 7 rebounds), and the aforementioned new guys will all be put out on the open market, and all their Bird Rights will be lost. It may be foolish to put the cart in front of the horse, but at what point does the idea of retaining these guys come into play? Do the Clippers really have a shot at LeBron James? It’s logical that Clippers should at least see if they can attract a superstar…but what if they already have that superstar? He just might be that tall guy who has been sitting behind the bench all year.

Right now, it’s not a tough decision. You renounce the free agents and try your luck in free agency or via trade this Summer. However if the Clippers play well, and the new guys stay hungry and keep performing, the lottery ticket will become just a bit more pricey.

I know all Clipper Fans are having pixie dust dreams of the potential free agents becoming available this summer, but I’m willing to give all the new guys (Steve Blake, Travis Outlaw, Drew Gooden) and old (Rhino and Butler) a chance to show their mettle the rest of the season. Turnovers aside, this game (and the Sacramento game) were nice to watch, and it’s clear that this current roster has a lot of potential.

Asperis

It’s definitely premature, but it’s exciting to watch these guys. We have 20 some odd games to see what this squad can produce. If they keep battling like they did these last 2 games, I wouldn’t have a problem brining them back, testing out luck in the draft, and seeing what Griffin can really do for this team.

Even so, you know the front office HAS to make an attempt at James or someone…or would fans really be ok with them immediately going to plan B (resign the new and old guys).

I still think landing James is a pipe dream but it doesn’t mean it can’t happen. It is what it is; a gamble.

I stand by exactly what D.J. said, “…but what if they already have that superstar? He just might be that tall guy who has been sitting behind the bench all year.”

Adding Griffin into th mix of guys we have now along with our draft pick and some other pieces via FA? I like the sound of that better than an amazing starting 5 but filling out our bench with scraps because we have no money to sign anyone who isn’t willing to accept the bare minimum contract.

Say No to Superstars

This season is not over yet. What if Clippers win 20 of next 26? What if Protland keep losing & Clippers keep rising?

And what if we end up grabbing 8th spot and take on the Lakers in first round?
Betcha, Lakers & limping Kobe won’t be expecting that & may not want to face this renewed Clipper team.

I say NO to wasting time, enerdgy and money on any superstars. We need to keep
our core group intact. And we have a Superstar in BLAKE GRIFFIN and already have starlike players in Gordon, Baron, Kaman and Travis Outlaw(yes, I believe Travis can be that player who can stretch the floor alongwith Gordon/Butler.

And if can keep Butler, Steve Blake, Gooden, Smith and add 2 defensive minded players, we are set and ready to go. Both Baron & Blake are in their 30’s and should share the minutes 50-50. If Baron is hurting with constant back pain, he should not drag this team down & losing. This team suffers when Baron is playing hurt. If he’s not in 80% game ready shape, he should not play more than 20 mpg.

Brian Tipton

I like the use of the word potential, but it seems like they may just care more… Thornton got to the point where I think he was sick of getting his heart torn out all the time. Lets see if the current team can pick up steam. If they can, imagine what would happen with Griffin…

Average Jose

I loved their hussle last night. Gooden brought a quickness from the 4 spot that I haven’t seen all year. Deandre’s dunk in the first half just tore the heart out of the Bobcats.

neiljlax

the team as it was last night with a strong Griff added to the mix may be a better way to go than half that team plus one of the superstars that’s not coming here.

it’ll be brutal if we lose all of them for nothing and then misfire on the big signing – assuming they play similar to last night or better for the bulk of the rest of the year.
i sure would like to see .500+ ball and some smiles the rest of the way.

Chris McDougall

I agree. While it would be nice to go for that superstar free agent, the bench has been doing pretty well throughout the season, even with lineup changes. It will be a tough decision, and I’m sure Dunleavy will get crap for whatever happens.

I’d love to see a .500+ ending.

Brian Tipton

Deandre Jordan #1 on ESPN Top Ten plays for his dunk in this game yesterday! Hopefully they stay motivated! And what top free agent would want to go to a team without a legit bench?

First2One00

I think it’s too early to say if these guys would be worth keeping. The energy level is high because these guys just got traded and they want to prove A) what they can bring to their new teams. B) show their old teams what they lost by trading them C) THey are in contract years. Once we face an elite team with this squad then we’ll be able to see how well the Clippers match up with the league’s best. I still believe its worth taking our chances in landing a superstar because we need someone we can go to down the stretch in close games. Eric Gordon is kind of getting there but he is extremely sloppy with his dribble and I been noticing that he’s been leaving his feet when making passes which is a recipe for a turnover as well. I think through 10 games with the new guys we’ll have a better idea of where we’re at. We need to remember that we just beat SAC and Charlotte, for some reason I don’t respect Charlotte’s team much, they’re 500 and they play in the east, which means the majority of their games are with teams in their own conference and they don’t have to worry about facing all the talent that comes from the west.

Say No to Superstars

Several AGENTS want Clippers in the mix. That’s how they can make huge amount of money during eco-downturn. And those Superstars also want Clippers to pursue them(remember Kobe? he used Clippers to get what he wanted from Jerry Buss).

I say NO. Don’t even show your interest. Trash these Superstars just like they’ve been doing it to Clippers team & fans. They openly ridicule us and you want to help them get max deal with another team?

Curtis

I’m glad you raised the question DJ. After last night, I think that’s the immediate thing on everyone’s mind. Do we go after Lebron or do we resign our FAs?

It’s still too premature to tell, but if last night is any indication of what we’ll see the rest season and next, then I say we should exercise the Bird Rights and groom Gordon & Griffin to be this decade’s ultimate closing tandem. You can even throw Deandre with those two to make it a trio.

Likewise, if we can get a decent draft with a lot of potential this year, the Clippers will be a solid bunch from top to bottom.

Right now the only problem I foresee is that we’re too fleshed out at the PF position – Griffin, Gooden, and Smith. I have a feeling that’ll cause some playtime issues in the future.

Mike Wr

I was reading an interview of Donnie Walsh in the last couple of days. He made a very good point, which is that it makes no sense to pay superstar $s for a non-superstar and that he’s not going to do anything this summer to jeopardize the long-terms interests of the Knicks. In other words, you don’t commit $s long-term just because you have the $s. Looking ahead to 2011, there will be more superstars with expiring contracts, Carmelo Anthony, for example. I know Clips’ fans have waited long enough; at the same time, exercising patience and doing nothing is better than making a big mistake. Spend $s but keep the commitments short to 2 years or less. Take a look at New Orleans’ predicament. They took a short-term win now strategy, and it’s now costing them big-time. They have to wait now until Stojakovic, Peterson and Songalia’s contracts expire after next season and have to live with the huge long-term contract they assumed on Okafor which runs through 2014. They also over-paid and over-extended on Posey.

http://www.hh4law.com Deez Nutz

I don’t see Rhino, Gooden, or Butler having a long-term impact on the Clippers. To put it another way, they are replaceable parts. I’m not so sure yet about Blake and Outlaw and whether they fit into the replaceable or irreplaceable category. I know that I’d rather see Blake on the floor than Baron but at the same time with a focused effort last night Baron was integral to the cause. (Was the team focused because Baron had it together or did Baron get it together to match his teammates’ energy?)

Is it possible that Baron, the presumptive and self-anointed leader, is the ultimate follower? When the Warriors made their improbable run a few years back, did it happen because of Baron or did the Stephen Jacksons and Matt Barneses of the world pull BD up with them? I’m starting to believe that left to his own devices BD is basically the synthesis of everything that is wrong with the NBA, but required to play a role he can be an upper tier point guard. I get the inherent contradictions in that statement (how do you pay $65MM for a role player / guy who is your 3rd or 4th best player?), but at the same time if he’s your 3rd or 4th best player only then can he can make the guys around him better.

One of my favorite plays of the game last night was BD’s kick out to EJ for 3. There was chaos on the court and EJ ran down past the free throw line in transition then high-tailed back to the three point line. The ball moved around just outside the block to BD, who somewhat implausibly threw it way outside to an open EJ. It was an angle not often taken or seen but in a split second BD realized EJ had come and gone and rewarded the effort. More importantly, it was selfless and high percentage and the result followed.

RT

I think you just described Lamar Odom. He can’t be THE guy on the team, the #1 option and sole leader, but as the 3rd or 4th or 5th best player he can be invaluable to a team. Without the pressure of the the team’s go-to-guy Odom flourishes and makes his teammates infinitely better. With the Lakers he’s shown more energy in this role, too, compared to when he was with us or with the Heat where he was more in the spotlight.

The big difference between Lamar Odom and BD? Odom knows he’s a role player and will accept it, and less money, if it means getting wins (and rings!).

Q.D.

I get what you’re saying, but Odom accepted less money b/c no one was offering

RT

Fair point.

bongstradamus

Miami had a deal out for him. Wade was begging him to come “home”.

Fritz

DN, interesting point about BD…I don’t think he can carry a team. And neither can Kaman. That is going to be up to Blake and EJ. I don’t think the Clips are going to get a marquee name this summer. What about Al Harrington?

Beard The Curse

Speaking to DJs post a week back, there is a huge weight lifted when watching these games now that we are done. They are much more enjoyable to watch.

Josh

Nice point, DN.

Hopefully Baron will start being more unselfish and playing smarter now that he has Blake chomping at his minutes. Take him out when he makes a stupid, selfish play.

I really like Blake in the backcourt here. He can spell EJ or Baron. Nice upgrade from Bassy.

Outlaw, it’s too soon to tell, but I would love to see him mesh and resign here at a reasonable salary. I don’t see any reason why he couldn’t be Rudy Gay.

Gooden is a bad defender. Sometimes he’s just lost. A lot of talent, but he’ll never be on a winner, because he’s just not a smart defensive player.

Rhino is a nice spark, but he’s too short to be an effective defender at the 4 spot.

Nice to see DJ get more run. Keep working hard.

Don’t overpay. If we can get LBJ or Joe Johnson, sure. If not, if this core plays well, there is no reason to spend the entire cap on someone who isn’t worth it.

Cassellmania

I was at the game last night, and i must say. . .Blake and Outlaw are HUGE upgrades over Telfair and Thornton. Before the trade, how many times would we see the bench guys come in and say to ourselves ‘uh oh. . .I hope they dont screw this up’ Last night i actually felt better with the second unit (plus EG). The only time i was worried was when Baron came back in and the Bobcats made their run to close the half. Blake is exactly the backup we need for Baron, and Outlaw is a dependable scorer. Both can shoot the three and defend. Unless we lure LeBron (or somehow pull off a trade for Granger) we should focus on signing dependable role players to surround our Griffin/Gordon G-Unit.

And yes- Gordon really needs to work on his ball-handling skills this summer.

http://www.firedunleavy.com FireDunleavy .com

Dunleavy is going to tell the free agents they have, “If we don’t get Lebron, wade, johnson, or who ever else we want, we’re going to try to resign you.” I’m sure they’ll all wait around for the Clippers instead of signing with someone else.

Q.D.

Players have to know, they’re not in Lebron’s level. They shouldn’t be surprised that it will be a wait and see approach on their contracts., the same thing would happen for another team in the same situation.

http://www.firedunleavy.com FireDunleavy .com

I was sort of making a joke. I’m just saying Dunleavy is lying to people saying they’ll have a good shot at re-signing those free agents they just got. Otherwise he wouldn’t have cleared out max cap space….

blazer.fan

From a Blazer season ticket holder’s point of view who has been to or watched every game over the last 3 seasons:

Blake. Hell of a great guy and one of the most underrated players in the league. He’ll be missed. His game looks crusty, but he can ball. He is a solid pro. Never takes his sh’t public. Is a calming effect on the offense. Gets people where they need to be. Gets the ball to people where they can score. Able to run and makes solid decisions in the open court. Rarely makes mistakes. Deadly when left alone on the perimiter. Willing to outwork everyone else on the team to maximize talen… but can be a little too hard on himself. Rarely able to generate his own shot. If gets to the paint, will always kick out to others, often passing up wide open paths to the hoop. Defense is adequate.

Outlaw. Most beloved guy in the lockerroom. Easy to smile and gel with the team, media, and fans. A fan favorite. Survived a hellish lockerroom after being drafted straight from high school; a testimate to his parents. Arrived with unlimited athletic potential but could barely dribble. Every skill you see on the floor has been earned through hard work. Except for his jumping ability and length, which is freakish. His jump shot can not be defended. If given a last second shot, you will win the game. When he’s on, he’ll kill it. When he’s off, he’s a black hole. Prone to taking leaning jump shots when the ball can be worked around to teammates for a better shot. Can be a lock down defender one night and disappear the next. With his athletic ability, should consistantly pull double digit rebounds, but often only has 1. Has the uncanny ability to fill the box score with small numbers despte significant playing time.

End of the day, you guys got some good talent from the Blazers. There will be a lot of Blazer fans watching your box scores and hoping for the best for you out of those guys. Good luck the rest of the way.

Q.D.

Thanks, I haven’t seen Outlaw enough to figure out his strengths and weaknesses.

TNT57

What a great email. I’m going to become a part-time Blazer fan just because of this guy.

http://Lou Lou

I do not know what he will tell the free agents but he and the owner might have learned the lesson with Bryant when he was a free agent.

http://www.twitter.com/HitFixGregory jgroove

Let’s be realistic here for a second even if we didn’t renounce their bird rights…

Gooden – Gone. He wants to win a ring now and he’s minutes will dwindle with Griffin coming next year. Essentially, he’s playing for next year’s contract. He’s going to hustle no matter what to get good money.

Blake – He’s already gone back to the Blazers once after they traded him because his wife and family liked the area. Why would he not go back again?

Outlaw – Only player with a strong chance of keeping. However, the better he plays over the rest of the season, the better chance he can get a good deal. If we keep his rights, we can offer the most years. I’ve always been a fan. Would be nice to keep him.

Butler – I’d love for him to stay, but he’ll have a chance for more money and a better shot at winning immediately on a number of other teams with cap space. I can’t see him staying unfortunately.

That’s why you renounce their bird rights…

Ben S.

Rasual is one of our best players and he has probably been our best 3 pt shooter in recent memory…i really really hope if we do sign some ok free agents we also find a way to keep him!

http://Lou Lou

Good post Blazer fan. i used to watch Maryland games Plake was a hell of player in college. he always looked like a very nice guy, (except the tennis shoes).

phil

not only is blake an upgrade over telfair but i’d start him over bd as well.

TNT57

Still say we go after SHANNON BROWN and RUDY GAY.

TNT57

Peter Vecey is reporting that PHIL JACKSON and or KOBE could end up with Clippers next season. Yeah, right.

wow i didnt think Drew Gooden was as wack as he was the guy reminded me of Kwame Brown from a couple years ago fumbling passes left and right…bricks hands type of stuff…but then i had seen him play prior to this stint with the Clippers and the guy was pretty good he had all kinda offensive weapons…
im hoping he brings energy more than everything and from there i hope everything just falls into place…..

laknights

I knew I liked Blake in the first game, during a timeout he was giving Kaman feedback as they walked to the bench, and KAMAN WAS LISTENING, INTENTLY! Do you know how few people in this world speak ‘Kaman”? I think most of them are in upper Michigan and related by blood. It took Baron over a year, and he is still learning. I like this guy Blake, I see visions of another Steve Nash – geeky white guy you’d never peg as an NBA player, but a true player and good teammate.

clippafan4life

its amazing how different our team looks with these new guys. Our guard rotation looks really good because baron can play 2 guard with blake or bobby brown (who has been a nice addition). Eric gordon is getting good looks because of guard penetration (blake + bobby) and we mend our interior defense and add scoring with gooden. Stretch the court with outlaw and blake’s 3 point shot. I don’t think we could’ve added better role players, they aren’t gonna blow up the stats but they compliment our team really well. Blake and bobby free up baron and gordon. Outlaw stretches the floor for Kaman to operate and gooden gets on the boards because Kaman doesn’t rebound as well this year. Nice additions without trading our core, this season is redeemed somehow, didn’t see that coming.

Jonathan Evans

I hated to see Outlaw leave the Blazers. If you didn’t know yet…Outlaw hit a lot of last 3 minute 4th quarter shots for the Blazers and is a great foul shooter under pressure…the last 2.5 years he has been the second option to BRoy in the 4th quarter. Outlaw is a decent 3pt shooter as well. Defensively he will always be average (he sometimes gets lost in exchanges) but he can block shots occasionally…great leaper.
I hope we can re-sign Outlaw in the summer…the Blazers lost a clutch guy when they traded him away. If the Clippers can keep him, they definitely will not regret it.

akram47

“Is there a better backup point guard in the league right now than Steve Blake? With the exception of Darren Collison, there probably isn’t.”